The Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM) has announced that Terry Wahls, MD has been named the 2018 recipient of the Linus Pauling Award. The Linus Pauling Award recognizes a visionary clinician or researcher who has made a significant contribution to the development of the functional medicine (FM) model or to the reach of functional medicine nationally or internationally. Dr. Wahls received this award for her work as a physician, researcher, teacher, and patient advocate. Her health journey led to the publication of her pioneering research in neurological disorders, and it serves as a beacon of inspiration to the FM movement and community as a whole. The announcement was made at IFM’s 2018 Annual International Conference in Hollywood, FL.
“It is truly an honor to name Dr. Wahls as the 2018 Linus Pauling Award recipient. Her personal journey of healing is a testament to the impact of functional medicine on both the causes and treatment of autoimmune disease, specifically multiple sclerosis (MS),” said Amy R. Mack, IFM’s CEO. “Dr. Wahls brought this debate into academia by designing high quality, scientifically based research studies that test the validity of this approach, and she is training physicians to use the FM lens to view treatment approaches for chronic disease.”
Dr. Wahls is a clinical professor of medicine at the University of Iowa, where she teaches the public and medical trainees and conducts clinical trials. She is also a patient with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis, which confined her to a tilt-recline wheelchair for four years. She restored her health using a diet and lifestyle program she designed specifically for her brain and now pedals her bike to work each day.
“I am profoundly grateful to functional medicine, which has transformed me as a person, as a physician, and as a researcher,” said Dr. Wahls. “Functional medicine provides clinicians and researchers a better framework for addressing the root causes of chronic disease development. It is one of the best tools we have for converting the epidemic of chronic disease into an epidemic of health. I am deeply honored to receive the Linus Pauling Award.”
Dr. Wahls has authored several books, including The Wahls Protocol: How I Beat Progressive MS Using Paleo Principles and Functional Medicine and the paperback The Wahls Protocol: A Radical New Way to Treat All Chronic Autoimmune Conditions Using Paleo Principles. Dr. Wahls teaches the public and medical community about the healing power of nutrition.
For more information, visit www.ifm.org.
